Arrow Adventure opening storefront in Lebanon

Niki Marengo wanted more than cake and ice cream for her 40th birthday – she wanted an adventure.

“I wanted to do something,” Marengo said.

That “something” ended up being a first-time Appalachian Trail backpacking trip with friends who needed a bit of convincing.

“We spent almost a year preparing, pulling gear together and mapping out our route,” Marengo said. “I was terrified – mostly of bears – but it was an incredible experience. It changed me forever.”

It wasn’t long before Marengo, now 46, was sharing her love of adventure with others. She established Arrow Adventure to help “make the outdoors more accessible to anyone” by creating events, planning trips and helping adventure seekers find reasonably priced gear.

“I wanted to help get people outside,” she said. “Help people become unafraid of doing the things that make them feel alive.”

There were climbing and paddling programs, yoga classes and hiking trips and now a storefront for her business. Arrow Adventure will soon have its home base at 44 E. Mulberry St. in Lebanon with a grand opening this spring.

With a focus on sustainability, Arrow Adventure will stock a wide variety of used outdoor gear, from boots and backpacks to bikes – anything human powered. People can consign gear they no longer need or buy new-to-them gear for their next trek.

“We realized early on that new gear can be very cost prohibitive,” Marengo said. “This helps reduce that expense.”

The space is also ideal for workshops and classes. And Marengo also plans to offer bike rentals – a great way to try out the adrenaline –inducing Lebanon Bike Park or any of the nearby bike trails.

Accessibility, expense, experience – one by one she is hoping to eliminate excuses.

“We have a solid outdoor community but there are still so many people who don’t make time for themselves,” Marengo said. “I remember getting back in the car after that first backpacking trip feeling mega empowered and I want other people to feel that way too.”

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Arrow Adventure offers a wide variety of outdoor opportunities including women-centered adventures like the Women, Wine + Wilderness events.

“You can just see the confidence they gain from the start to the finish,” Marengo said of the participants. “So many of those women ask me, ‘What are you doing next?’”

And the adventures are about more than fitness.